rayoswahili, Uploaded on Oct 18, 2007
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post is a reprint of a 2013 pancocojams post that I accidentally deleted.
This post presents information about the Blues standard "Sweet Home Chicago" and showcases two more YouTube examples of that song by other Bluesmen.
The lyrics to one version of "Sweet Home Chicago" is also provided in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Robert Johnson and all the other Bluesmen who are showcased in this post for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.3hofor
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/11/sugar-daddies-sweet-nicknames-for-black.html for a pancocojams post about David 'Honeyboy' Edwards -singing "Sweet Home Chicago"
This pancocojams post is a reprint of a 2013 pancocojams post that I accidentally deleted.
This post presents information about the Blues standard "Sweet Home Chicago" and showcases two more YouTube examples of that song by other Bluesmen.
The lyrics to one version of "Sweet Home Chicago" is also provided in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Robert Johnson and all the other Bluesmen who are showcased in this post for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.3hofor
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/11/sugar-daddies-sweet-nicknames-for-black.html for a pancocojams post about David 'Honeyboy' Edwards -singing "Sweet Home Chicago"
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-1932-blues-song-kokomo-blues-and.html for the pancocojams post with the title "The 1932 Blues Song "Kokomo Blues", The 1936 Blues Song "Sweet Home Chicago" & The 1969 Beatles' Song "Come Together" Are The Sources Of "One And One And One Are Three" Historically Black Sororities Chants"
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ADDITIONAL SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES OF "SWEET HOME CHICAGO"
Example #2: Buddy Guy - Sweet Home Chicago
gaukur, Uploaded on Jun 11, 2006
Sweet Home Chicago live in Houston, Texas
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Example #3: Robert Lockwood, Jr. - Sweet Home Chicago
blueshoeproject, Uploaded Sep 6, 2006
91 Year Old Blues Legend and N.E.A. Recipient Robert Lockwood, Jr. plays live on stage at the Palace Theatre in Grapevine, Texas
More on the web at http://www.BlueShoeProject.org
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LYRICS - "SWEET HOME CHICAGO" (with information about this song)
From http://blueslyrics.tripod.com/lyrics/robert_johnson/sweet_home_chicago.htm
"Sweet Home Chicago" by Robert Johnson
recording of 1st of 5 sessions, November 23 1936, San Antonio, Texas
from The Complete Recordings (CBS 467246 2 & Columbia/Legacy C2K-46222 & Columbia 4622 & Sony 64916), copyright notice
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
Now one and one is two, two and two is four
I'm heavy loaded baby, I'm booked, I gotta go
Cryin' baby, honey don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
Now two and two is four, four and two is six
You gonna keep monkey'in 'round here friend-boy2,
you gonna get your business all in a trick
But I'm cryin' baby, honey don't you wanna go
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
Now six and two is eight, eight and two is ten
Friend-boy, she trick you one time, she sure gonna do it again
But I'm cryin' hey, baby don't you want to go
To the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
I'm goin' to California, from there to Des Moines, Iowa'y3
Somebody will tell me that you, need my help someday,
cryin', hey hey, baby don't you want to go
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
__________
Note: a or the source for this song is probably Kokomo Arnold's popular song "Old Original Kokomo Blues", recorded in 1934;
Note 1: confusing California for Illinois suggests that Robert Johnson had not been yet to Chicago prior to the recording of this song. Another explanation is offered by Patrick Clark: "I do believe that he was simply using the phrase "the land of California" as an alternative way of stating "that place of great riches". California as a metaphor for the land of milk and honey, it is a possibility. Thanks to Patrick for this contribution;
Note 2: friend-boy is a dialectic synonym for "boyfriend" when used between men;
Note 3: "from there to Des Moines, Iowa-y" is best-guess work based on the phonetics…
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Home_Chicago
"The melody was previously used in a number of recorded blues songs, including "Honey Dripper Blues", "Red Cross Blues" and the immediate model for the song: "Kokomo Blues"...
In 1932, Jabo Williams recorded "Ko Ko Mo Blues," with the same refrain and included the counting line
One and two is three, four and five and six[8]
In 1933, James Arnold laid claim to the song, styling himself Kokomo Arnold and his version as "Old Original Kokomo Blues".
Now one and one is two mama, two and two is four
You mess around here pretty mama, you know we got to go
Cryin O, baby don't you want to go
Back to the eleven light city, to sweet old Kokomo[9]
...Kokomo was a city of little significance to a Southern audience. Papa Charlie McCoy changed the reference to the better known Baltimore.[11] Robert Johnson changed the character of the song to one of aspirational migration, replacing back to Kokomo with to Chicago, and replacing that eleven light city with another migrational goal that land of California.
But I'm cryin' hey baby, Honey don't you want to go
Back to the land of California, To my sweet home Chicago
ADDITIONAL SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES OF "SWEET HOME CHICAGO"
Example #2: Buddy Guy - Sweet Home Chicago
gaukur, Uploaded on Jun 11, 2006
Sweet Home Chicago live in Houston, Texas
****
Example #3: Robert Lockwood, Jr. - Sweet Home Chicago
blueshoeproject, Uploaded Sep 6, 2006
91 Year Old Blues Legend and N.E.A. Recipient Robert Lockwood, Jr. plays live on stage at the Palace Theatre in Grapevine, Texas
More on the web at http://www.BlueShoeProject.org
****
LYRICS - "SWEET HOME CHICAGO" (with information about this song)
From http://blueslyrics.tripod.com/lyrics/robert_johnson/sweet_home_chicago.htm
"Sweet Home Chicago" by Robert Johnson
recording of 1st of 5 sessions, November 23 1936, San Antonio, Texas
from The Complete Recordings (CBS 467246 2 & Columbia/Legacy C2K-46222 & Columbia 4622 & Sony 64916), copyright notice
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
Now one and one is two, two and two is four
I'm heavy loaded baby, I'm booked, I gotta go
Cryin' baby, honey don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
Now two and two is four, four and two is six
You gonna keep monkey'in 'round here friend-boy2,
you gonna get your business all in a trick
But I'm cryin' baby, honey don't you wanna go
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
Now six and two is eight, eight and two is ten
Friend-boy, she trick you one time, she sure gonna do it again
But I'm cryin' hey, baby don't you want to go
To the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
I'm goin' to California, from there to Des Moines, Iowa'y3
Somebody will tell me that you, need my help someday,
cryin', hey hey, baby don't you want to go
Back to the land of California1, to my sweet home Chicago
__________
Note: a or the source for this song is probably Kokomo Arnold's popular song "Old Original Kokomo Blues", recorded in 1934;
Note 1: confusing California for Illinois suggests that Robert Johnson had not been yet to Chicago prior to the recording of this song. Another explanation is offered by Patrick Clark: "I do believe that he was simply using the phrase "the land of California" as an alternative way of stating "that place of great riches". California as a metaphor for the land of milk and honey, it is a possibility. Thanks to Patrick for this contribution;
Note 2: friend-boy is a dialectic synonym for "boyfriend" when used between men;
Note 3: "from there to Des Moines, Iowa-y" is best-guess work based on the phonetics…
-snip-
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Home_Chicago
"The melody was previously used in a number of recorded blues songs, including "Honey Dripper Blues", "Red Cross Blues" and the immediate model for the song: "Kokomo Blues"...
In 1932, Jabo Williams recorded "Ko Ko Mo Blues," with the same refrain and included the counting line
One and two is three, four and five and six[8]
In 1933, James Arnold laid claim to the song, styling himself Kokomo Arnold and his version as "Old Original Kokomo Blues".
Now one and one is two mama, two and two is four
You mess around here pretty mama, you know we got to go
Cryin O, baby don't you want to go
Back to the eleven light city, to sweet old Kokomo[9]
...Kokomo was a city of little significance to a Southern audience. Papa Charlie McCoy changed the reference to the better known Baltimore.[11] Robert Johnson changed the character of the song to one of aspirational migration, replacing back to Kokomo with to Chicago, and replacing that eleven light city with another migrational goal that land of California.
But I'm cryin' hey baby, Honey don't you want to go
Back to the land of California, To my sweet home Chicago
Johnson sang this as a refrain, and also as a first verse. Otherwise, his text retained the structure of Arnold's hit record, with similar counting verses"...
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